1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless Internet Packet (IP) communication devices having more than one interface format.
2. Description of the Related Art
Networked computing is a powerful tool for business and personal use. With it, the user of a user terminal that communicates with a network such as a company's local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) can access and share data with other terminals in the network.
Most LAN/WANs are implemented by wired connections, i.e., by requiring that the computers in a network be attached to the network by means of wires. For convenience and to permit easy movement of user terminals within the Network, wireless Networks have been introduced, in which network communication is established via a wireless radiofrequency (rf) or infrared (IR) link.
As recognized by the present assignee, a wireless communication interface can be established by connecting an interface component to a user terminal such as a laptop computer or personal computer. Once connected, the interface component can be used to transfer data via the wireless link between the user terminal and the network. As also recognized by the present assignee, an interface component must be mechanically configured to engage the user terminal and electrically configured to communicate via the particular wireless link being used. Unfortunately, some potentially preferred interface components, such as personal computer memory card interface architecture (PCMCIA) cards which are configured for engaging a PCMCIA slot in a laptop computer, might not be engageable with PCs without a PCMCIA card adaptor, because many PCs do not have PCMCIA slots. Accordingly, we observe that a separate interface component that would include a mechanical connection such as a PCMCIA card adaptor or a universal serial bus (USB) connector would be required to interface such PCs with the wireless link.
Moreover, while two mechanical connections defining two respective interface formats might be required to link two differently-configured user terminals to a network, many of the electrical components that support wireless link communication would remain the same for each terminal. Thus, making separate interface devices for each type of user terminal in the network is wasteful since common communication components would have to be duplicated in separate devices. This increases manufacturing costs and requires a user of both a network laptop and a network PC to purchase and use separate interface devices, one for each of his network terminals.
To address the above-noted issues, a dual interface device has been disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/833,489, filed Apr. 12, 2001. The present invention recognizes that for such a dual interface device, each interface requires a respective software driver tailored to the particular operating system of the computer sought to be used. Accordingly, the correct drivers must first be loaded into the computer, but as recognized herein this requires the user to be sufficiently proficient to know what operating system (and perhaps even what version of the operating system) happens to be loaded onto the computer. Unfortunately, not all users know what operating system is used by their computer. Furthermore, software drivers are typically provided on compact disks (CDs). This means that to load the drivers for the dual interface device, a CD must be engaged with the computer. However, the present invention understands that certain computers, e.g., some types of laptop computers, have only a single PCMCIA slot to which a CD must be connected when it is desired to establish communication between the CD and computer, thereby preventing simultaneous use of the PCMCIA slot for a dual interface device that might use the PCMCIA form factor to access the appropriate driver on a CD. Having recognized the above-noted problem, the present invention provides the solution disclosed herein.